Man jailed for life over failed knife attack at Israeli embassy in London - BBC News
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Failed asylum seeker jailed for life over knife attack attempt at Israeli embassy in London
Abdullah Albadri had arrived in the UK on a small boat 16 days before attempting to carry out the attack.
By Sean Seddon
Published: 5 October 2026, 14:00 BST
Updated: 1 hour ago
A failed asylum seeker who tried to break into the Israeli embassy in London to carry out a knife attack has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
Background:
- Abdullah Albadri, a 34-year-old from Kuwait, arrived in the UK on a small boat in August 2021 and applied for asylum.
- He returned to France before a decision was made and attempted another crossing in April 2025.
- He was housed in a hotel for three days and then attempted to scale the fence of the Israeli embassy in Kensington on 28 April 2025.
The Incident:
- He was carrying two knives when he was caught by police officers.
- The embassy is located in a street with a constant police presence.
- He saluted nearby diplomatic protection officers and tried to scale the fence at around 6:00 pm.
Police Findings:
- Two 10cm blades and a handwritten note titled "the benefit of martyrdom" were discovered on Albadri during a search.
- He told officers, "I want to make a crime inside there. Why are you stopping me?"
Prosecutor's Argument:
Catherine Pattison argued that Albadri intended to cause harm and might have forced the officers to kill him.
Defense Argument:
Chris Henley claimed Albadri's actions were performative and "deliberately designed to draw attention." He argued that the plan was absurd and could never have succeeded.
Sentence:
On Monday, Mrs Justice Lambert KC sentenced Albadri to life imprisonment.